CLAUSES and CLAUSE

COMPLEXES
CLAUSES

PBI UST 2
(1) The things will be here and you will know
what to do, as you will be able to carry on by
yourself if you have finished your other work,
so long as you tidy up at the end.

(2) The payoff for the rigorous and longueurs

of scientific research is the consequent gain in
understanding off the way the world is
construct.

PBI UST 3
 Gerot and Wignell (1995)
Systemic functional grammar talks about clauses and clause
complexes rather than sentences.
The sentence is a unit of written language; it does not apply
to spoken language. People do not speak in sentences. If
youve ever tried to transcribe audiotaped or videotaped
language material, you will have come up against this fact
very quickly. People do, however, speak in messages which
are realized grammatically in clause and clause complexes.
Hence, the latter terms are equally applicable to spoken and
written language, and therefore are preferred.
A clause can be defined as the largest grammatical unit, and
a clause complex is two or more clauses logically connected.

PBI UST 4
 Minor and Major Clauses
A Minor clause has no predicator.
e.g. address, greeting and exclamations
A major clause has predicator/s.
e.g. John invited the Wilsons to the party but
they didnt come which made John rather
indignant as he had thought he was doing
them a favour.

PBI UST 5
 Major clauses: Independent Vs Dependent

Independent clauses realise speech functions

that is, make statements, ask questions, command
and exclaim whereas dependent clauses pick up
Mood of the primary clause.
e.g. Although Tony is intelligent, he failed.

PBI UST 6
Structural relationships between clauses
Linking
The clauses are either simply juxtaposed (in writing, often with
a comma, colon, semicolon, or dash between them) or they
are joined by a linking conjunction (and, but, or, etc).
e.g.
(1)Dont worry about it; Grandma doesnt know what she
means.
(2)Put up or shut up!
(3)(I want it) because I need it and I was promised it.
(4)While soaking oneself in the hot water and letting the cares
of the day dissolve away, one can contemplate the
strangeness of a society which allows

PBI UST 7
 Binding

There are a number of ways in which a clause may be

marked as a dependent clause:
By a binding conjunction such as although, if, and because
e.g. Although the sun is shining, its raining in my heart.

By wh-words such as who and which

e.g. These are bony growths up to o ne and a half meters
long, which are used as weapons in fights with other stags
during the mating season.

PBI UST 8
 By word order
e.g. Had it been left to me, I would have forgotten the whole
thing.
By being a nonfinite clause either with no other marking
or preceded by a binding conjunction or a preposition
e.g.
- thick columns of thunder cloud are formed, creating
almost vertical walls
- These books appealed to Eros while educating it.
- By ordering directly from the publisher, we can avoid all the
day.
- Although not entirely happy with it, we accepted the
compromise agreement.
- Despite being so unpopular, the present administration has
managed to push through some important reforms.
PBI UST 9
Identify cases of clauses linking and binding in the following
sentences. In cases of binding, identify the dependent clauses
and state which features mark them as dependent.
1. He prized his body; he did not smoke and rarely drank.
2. When she saw the three bears, she jumped out of bed.
3. Heading dogs move sheep quickly, taking them where their master tells
them.
4. Dont cut the live and neutral conductors, but slice away just enough
insulation on each to expose a section of bare wire.
5. However, where publishing does become electronic, it will seriously affect
conventional publishing.
6. Although they live in a world in which the most terrible deeds are being
performed and they see brutal crime in the streets, they turn aside.
7. Input, storage, retrieval and display (or redissemination) are archival
functions, as well as being computer functions.
8. While working in Zimbabwe, she developed a great love for the African
landscape.
PBI UST 10
CLAUSE COMPLEXES

PBI UST 11